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Hints, Tips and Solutions (Do NOT post requests for help here) If you have any useful general hints and tips for vintage technology repair and restoration, please share them here. PLEASE DO NOT POST REQUESTS FOR HELP HERE!

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Old 21st May 2014, 9:20 pm   #1
Tony1965
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Default Best Cleaning Tips

I have a 1964/5 Alba Portable Record Player and its rather dirty on the outside casing, what would you recommend to bring it back to somewhere near its original colour? Cream lid and red body, also creak coloured grill front.

Tony
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Old 21st May 2014, 10:51 pm   #2
nutteronthebus
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Hi Tony I use Maplins antistatic foam cleaner ( but always test a small area first )

Dave
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Old 21st May 2014, 11:02 pm   #3
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

I have had great results using Ariel liquid laundry detergent, applied with a sponge and warm water. It really gets out the dirt well. Again try on an out of sight area first, and dry well once clean.

Mark
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Old 22nd May 2014, 9:03 am   #4
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

The best cleaning tools for small to medium sized jobs are toothbrushes, used and/or unused. I have a range of brushes with varying bristle hardness and condition, and heating the handle with a mini-blowlamp (or boiling water) lets you shape them for difficult tasks and awkward corners.

My favourite preferred cleaner is a 'spray & wipe' product that has lactic acid as the active ingredient. There is virtually nothing that it won't shift! Just letting it dribble down a surface will leave clean paths wherever it runs.

Cheers

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Old 22nd May 2014, 8:15 pm   #5
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Quote:
There is virtually nothing that it won't shift! Just letting it dribble down a surface will leave clean paths wherever it runs.
I suppose the UK equivalent would be Flash spray with bleach, this is one of my favourite cleaners, I used it recently on a reel to reel tape recorder that was filthy and heavily nicotine stained, it came up like new
It is quite amazing to see the foam turn brown as it dissolves all the years of muck!

But be warned that it can easily remove lettering from around control knobs and ruin radio dials if it gets underneath.

Mark
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Old 22nd May 2014, 8:22 pm   #6
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Aerosol foaming cleanser is normally pretty good. I mostly use Powerforce Bathroom Cleanser from Aldi, though all the foaming cleansers seem very similar regardless of what they're supposed to be used for.

Remember that any cleanser can wash out colour, so it's best to try some on a bit of hidden surface before really getting stuck in.
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Old 22nd May 2014, 9:33 pm   #7
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

In times past I've taken the electronics out of horribly-gungey plastic radio cases then put the case into the dishwasher along with the plates and casserole-dishes for a couple of cycles.

The front-panels of Pye AM10D Cambridges respond rather well to this treatment.
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Old 22nd May 2014, 11:49 pm   #8
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

One very effective cleaning tool: AEG Favorit

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Old 22nd May 2014, 11:54 pm   #9
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

I've found spray on foaming oven cleaner in an aerosol very good for cleaning really ancient crud from most surfaces but you have to be careful with certain plastics. Having said that, I once used it on a nothing to lose basis to clean the headlining on a car. I had to rinse it off fairly sharpish but it did the job very well. It's always best to use this stuff outside as the fumes are extremely noxious.

With all that said, I've tried it on a Portadyne record player cabinet that I have and it hardly touched it. Then again, neither has anything else I've tried on it and I've tried all sorts. But the oven cleaner usually works as a last resort and it's only failed me the once.

Regards,
Paul
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Last edited by unitaudio; 22nd May 2014 at 11:58 pm. Reason: Last paragraph was an afterthought
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Old 23rd May 2014, 12:12 am   #10
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Oven cleaner normally contains caustic soda, and while this will certainly shift oily deposits like cigarette tar, it should be used with caution.
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Old 23rd May 2014, 1:58 am   #11
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Quite right, I never use it unless the weather's ok for working outside. When I did the car headlining I had all 4 doors open and I still didn't linger inside for more than a minute or so at a time.

Regards,
Paul
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Old 23rd May 2014, 6:05 pm   #12
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

I'd strongly recommend eye protection too - sodium hydroxide is one of the few 'household' chemicals that can cause serious eye damage.
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Old 25th May 2014, 7:29 pm   #13
Tony1965
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

thanks for the replies , tried a few out and came up with some good results , next question is the clips/hinges ! ..... how do we get these back to something like new , the hinges on the Record Player are the usual silver colour so what we looking at using ...
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Old 25th May 2014, 7:38 pm   #14
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

If they're not corroded just unscrew them and clean them with metal polish or T-Cut.
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Old 25th May 2014, 7:57 pm   #15
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

I use a dremmil with a mini wire brush, followed by a buffing pad moistened with Brasso. It bring them up like new

Mark
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Old 25th May 2014, 8:25 pm   #16
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Very good result. Did you remove them or clean them in place?
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Old 25th May 2014, 9:55 pm   #17
mark pirate
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Hi Paul, Yes they were removed before work commenced. the 'D' ring on the hinge was removed and done separately.
The original screws were polished up in the same way, it's a bit tedious, but the result is worth the effort.

Mark
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Old 26th May 2014, 6:14 am   #18
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

If you want to bring that covering colour back to life, try "BACK TO BLACK" vinyl restorer. Only get the original that is white wax in colour in a clear plastic container not the cheap ghastly alternatives which leave a sticky wax deposit. Halfords is where I get mine.
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Old 25th Jun 2014, 12:04 pm   #19
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Default Re: Best Cleaning Tips

Quote:
Originally Posted by mark pirate View Post
Quote:
There is virtually nothing that it won't shift! Just letting it dribble down a surface will leave clean paths wherever it runs.
I suppose the UK equivalent would be Flash spray with bleach, this is one of my favourite cleaners,
Mark
S&W is not a bleach, but it does come in two versions and the only way to tell the difference is to look at the fine-print on the label. Only the lactic acid version (2.5% WW) does the miracle cleaning, but it is incredible on knobs, and just about any other surface. Best of all, it has not damaged even the most delicate of surfaces, though I wouldn't try it on a flaking dial scale!

Cheers

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